There may be a link between pregnancy weight gain and autism spectrum disorders, according to a new study.
The University of Utah has found pregnancy weight gain may have something to do with the evolution of the developmental disability, but researchers have not reached the point of advising any nutritional changes just yet, the Deseret News reported.
The findings "suggest that weight gain during pregnancy is not the cause of autism spectrum disorders, but rather may reflect an underlying process that it shares with autism spectrum disorders, such as abnormal hormone levels or inflammation," Dr. Deborah Bilder, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
According to the researchers, added weight, or increased fat in the body, changes various hormone levels, thus impacting the fetal environment, the study states. As such, maternal body mass index and gestational weight gain have previously been associated with increased risk for developmental disabilities.
"Doctors have known for a long time that proper nutrition is essential to a healthy pregnancy," Bilder said, adding that pregnant women should not change their diet based on the study's results. "Rather, this study provides one more piece for the autism puzzle that researchers are exploring."
This difference in pregnancy weight gain and the association with autism spectrum disorders was found in two separate study groups.
According to a press release, researchers carried out the study by comparing the cases of 8-year-ols living in Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties. A group of 128 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders were compared to a control group of 10,920 children of the same age and gender. Researchers also examined a second sample of 288 Utah children diagnosed with the disorder and compared their data with that of unaffected siblings.
In both scenarios, pregnancy weight gain patterns obtained from birth certificate records were identified as common factors in mothers who gave birth to children born with autism spectrum disorders.
Such a small, but consistent finding suggests these small changes in pregnancy weight gain and ASD may share the same underlying cause. The mother's BMI at the onset of pregnancy was not linked to ASD in either study group, according to a press release.
Autism spectrum disorders are neurobehavioral disorders manifest by a range of impaired social interactions, abnormal language development and stereotypic behavior and interests.
According to the most recent health department statistics, one in 63 Utah children has an autism spectrum disorder. Another study released last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the risk might be even higher, estimating Utah's rate at one in 47, the Deseret News reported.
Autism spectrum disorder is no longer considered a rare disorder and is now recognized in 1 percent to 2 percent of the population.
